


Dinner

by orphan_account



Category: Original Work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2020-05-05
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:55:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24023947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account





	Dinner

Clive Weston x Nova Parker  
“Dinner”

It’s not like Nova has never been at Clive’s house. It’s not like that at all. In some ways, they even got used to it. Sure, the architecture, the modern art, the marble was a lot. All of it was. Often, it felt as if they were intruding on a place where they shouldn’t be. But they got used to it after having come over so often. Countless movie and game nights with Clive and Marliese got them used to it. It showed them that, yes, even rich people are just people. Today, however, was going to be different. Today would be less laid-back, and more business. Or, at least, it felt like that. The elevator made a gentle ding as they arrived on their boyfriend’s floor. “Hey,” they said, which came out weaker than intended. Clive was already waiting in the entrance hall. His usual effortless exterior seemed to be a little tainted by stress. It made him look a bit different to Nova. Not necessarily in a bad way, though. Just a bit unfamiliar.  
“Oh, Noves!” He immediately walked over to them, giving them a quick kiss on the forehead and a hug. “You got here alright?” He continued when Nova nodded, “Please don’t be too freaked out by my parents, okay? I know that they can be intimidating, but they are both very excited to meet you. Plus, Marliese and I are there as well.”  
Nova took off their coat which they hung in the coat closet. It’s a formality that neither of them typically bother with, but tonight it kind of felt like they had to do it. “I’ll be fine. I’m sure that I’ve been through worse than a conversation with your parents.” Nova brushed out their dress, pursing their lips together. “Is this…” they gestured vaguely, “okay?” For some reason they felt both overdressed and underdressed at the same time.  
“Of course it’s okay, you look amazing,” Clive assured them, taking their hand. His sincere tone hasn’t changed one bit. “Come on, mom’s almost done cooking.”  
“For some reason I nearly thought you guys had a personal chef or something,” Nova joked as they followed Clive to the dining room.  
“Oh, no, Camille is only here on Monday, and-” He paused, “You were making fun of us, weren’t you?” he laughed, “Okay, yes. We have a personal chef. But we still cook, okay? And today is an important dinner, so of course mother is making something.”  
Nova had to stop themselves from snickering. “You call your mom ‘mother’? I thought that stuff only happens in Victorian books about sad orphans.” 

Before the conversation could continue, they arrived in the kitchen. There was a lot for Nova to take in, and they almost instinctively tried to hide behind their boyfriend. They weren’t usually in Clive’s kitchen, not that often, anyway. The only real memory they had of the place was this one time late at night. They were sleeping over, and complained about not being able to sleep. Naturally, Clive took them to the kitchen to make tea for the both of them. It was nice to sit on the counter while it was so dark. The light from the streets of Manhattan beautifully cascaded on all the expensive furniture, and it was kind of grounding to be there. Peaceful, even. Like the entire world was down there, and they and Clive were the only people up here. It was nice. 

Right now was not that moment. Right now they felt terribly anxious for the sheer fact that they were in the presence of some very intimidating people. The first person they noticed was a noticeably tall woman, busily messing around with two pots and a pan. Clive cleared his throat, which got her attention. She looked over a shoulder, a bright smile quickly forming on her strangely flawless face. “Oh! You’re early. Or am I just slow-?” She walked over to the pair in quick strides. “Either way- it’s lovely to meet you. Nova-- Palmer?” The woman seemed so well put together, it was almost shocking. Seemingly expensive clothes, silver jewelry, short hair tied in a neat bun.  
“Parker.” They corrected, somewhat hesitant at shaking Clive’s mother’s held out hand.  
“Right, of course. Parker” She gently shook her head, as if she was scolding herself. “My name is Céline. Your -euhm-, pronouns were ‘they/ them’, right? Clive told me.” It was a bit odd to see such a well put together woman seem so unsure of something. Though her tone was not at all rude.  
Nova nodded, making a mental note of thanking Clive for that later. For a moment they wondered if they would be judged for wearing the dress and being an enby, but they quickly pushed that thought away. “They are, thank you.”  
“Oh, no need to thank me.” Céline waved dismissively, “I know how it is.”

Before Nova had the chance to even react, there was a second person in front of them. “Good to meet you, Parker.” hummed a low voice. Clive’s dad felt so different to his mother in every way. He was shorter, clearly a bit more aged, and just felt more messy to look at somehow.  
“Nice to meet you too, sir.” Nova shook his hand as well. Without any further conversation, he walked past them and headed towards the dining room.  
Céline tsked. “Don’t worry about him too much. Something stressful happened at work - again. You can go ahead and follow him, though. I’ll serve dinner in a minute.” As they tried to leave, she snatched Clive’s sleeve. “Not you. I need to talk to you.” 

Clive reluctantly let Nova go to the dining room by themselves. After they closed the door behind them, Clive glared at his mother.  
“What’s that for?” She asked, her entire hoity-toity facade disappearing in an instant. “I didn’t do anything wrong yet, did I?”  
“What?” Clive pulled a dumb face, “No- no. I’m just not sure that putting Nova and dad in the same room --alone-- is a good idea.” he shrugged. “Whatever- what did you want to talk with me about?”  
Céline was already busying herself with cooking again, getting ready to plate what she was making. “I’m just confused about her- er - their gender. I know that Dom will have a hard time with it, your father isn’t that progressive. You know that- I just don’t want Nova to feel unwelcome.”  
“I-.” Clive sighed, “Thanks, mother. I didn’t really expect you to react like this. Kind of thought it would be a bigger deal.”  
She took two quick steps over to her son, making him look up at her by grabbing his chin. “Hey- I know Dominic is a jerk. But I’m not, okay?”  
“Sometimes it does feel like that.”  
“I don’t always speak up when he does something that I don’t agree with, yes. I know that’s a problem. But I also didn’t make a big deal out of it when you came out as gay, did I?”  
“Well-”  
“Speaking of which,” She finally let go of his chin, “are you? Still? She- they were wearing a dress-.”  
“Yes, Céline. I’m still gay, alright? And I-”  
“Don’t you ‘Céline’ me. I am your mother.” She grabbed a large pan with something Clive couldn’t quite make out, and a smaller bowl. “Go grab the salad,” She said, nodding towards it. “We should eat.” 

-

The dining room table was set for dinner, which looked just as flawless as everything else in this household. For now, no war has started between Nova and Dominic, which Clive counted as an absolute win. He and his partner sat on one side, his parents on the other side of the table. Marliese sat at the head.  
Céline brushed out her satin blouse as she sat down, smiling at everyone in the table as if she was about to start a business meeting. “We’re having pork tenderloin with a three-berry salsa.” She nodded to a salad bowl, “amongst some other things.”

For a moment, Nova nearly expected them to say grace. Isn’t it that all rich people are religious? They could barely finish that thought before Marliese was already starting to reach for a small basket with bread, chomping down on a slice as soon as she managed to get a hold of it.  
Everybody started to fill their plate with food, Nova a bit more sheepishly than the others. “Thank you very much for the dinner, Mrs Weston,” They said, polite as ever.  
Céline nodded at them, quickly swallowing her bite of pork. “Of course, of course. It’s always a pleasure to cook for guests. We don’t eat dinner as a family much these days. Dom and I are so busy with work all the time, Clive is just constantly out and about - not to mention all those fencing classes -,” she gave her son a disapproving glare before turning her attention to Marliese. “And this little prodigy is taking a lot of college courses on botany. At this age, no less.” The words she was saying were proud ones, clearly, but something about her smile seemed kind of fake to Nova. It was that smile that celebrities would have when they won an award that they paid to receive. It was only there to show others that she knows she should be happy, not because she actually is. It was kind of unsettling. “So,” She continued, eyes set on Nova now. “What about you? What keeps kids like you busy these days?” 

Nova looked up. Right - this is what they were here for, after all. Talk. “Well, school’s been keeping me busy too. I-”  
“Are you in any AP classes?” Céline interrupts.  
“Yes. Chemistry in particular is interesting. My brother and I, we - euh - do a lot of personal projects in that area.” They said, wanting to both kind of brag about being good at making web fluid, while also not completely blowing their cover. Clive did know, by now. But nobody else would have to.  
“Oh! What type of projects? Something entrepreneurial?”  
“I…” They fiddled with their words for a moment, before Clive rescued them by saying “Céline- mother, I mean - was it not you, who insisted that we don’t discuss school or anything related at the dinner table?”  
Céline rolled her eyes, “Please, I made that rule when you were still in elementary so I wouldn’t have to bear your horrible tangents. It’s fine, though. There are plenty of other things to discuss, right?” She glanced at Dominic, as if to prompt him to say something. He glanced from her, to Nova, then back to her. “Right,” he mumbled. “How did you two meet?”  
“Just at school,” Nova replied. “Clive totally saved my ass in the hallway that one day,” --Clive kicked them under the table as they swore-- “but we didn’t really talk much after that. It wasn’t until Lucy started spreading rumors about me and my past in Russia, that’s when we really became friends.”  
“You have a past in Russia?”  
“Yea, I was born there. But I live here now, and that’s much better if you ask me.” 

“Oh,” Marliese chimed in, with a half-full mouth, “Isn’t it also true that-”  
Before she could finish her sentence, Clive’s phone was ringing. “I’m so sorry-,” he said, though it didn’t sound apologetic. He checked his phone to see that Peter was calling him. “I’ll be right back,” He said, standing up and grabbing Nova’s hand to pull them along. 

“What’s up?” Clive asked once they were in the hallway, “You’re on speaker, by the way.”  
“I’ve been trying to call Nova like a thousand times! What’s going on?”  
Clive looked at Nova for an explanation. “I put my phone on silent!” They argued, “Was I just supposed to get constant messages over this important dinner?”  
“It’s not that important.”  
“No, but I thought since you have crazy strict parents that-”  
“I do not have crazy strict parents!”  
“Guys.” Peter’s voice cut off the short argument. “I need some help with a situation. I need Galaxy, okay? I hate to ruin your date or whatever, but this has priority.”  
Nova sighed. “Right, right. I’ll be on my way then. Text me the coordinates.”  
“I will. Thanks.” The call cut off. 

Clive bit the inside of his cheek, “So, you leave?”  
“I leave,” Nova shrugged, kind of disappointed, kind of glad that weird conversation with his parents is over. “How about next time we go to my place?”  
“That sounds very nice.” Clive pressed a button to call the elevator up. “Good luck with Peter and everything. Text me, so I know that you’re home safe.” he pushed some of their hair out of their face, so he could kiss their forehead.  
“Thanks. I’ll do that.”


End file.
